Flour bin and sifter.



UNITED STATES PETER RAETZ, OF RAOINE, WISCONSIN.

FLOUR BINAND SIFTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,285, dated March 5,1901.

Application filed May 5, 1900. Serial No. 16,617. on model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER RAETZ, a citizen of the United States,residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, haveinvented a new and useful Flour Bin and Sift-er, of which the followingis a specification.

The invention relates to improvements of flour bins and sifters.

One object of the present invention is to improve the construction offlour bins and sitters and to provide a simple and comparativelyinexpensive device capable of enabling flour and similar material to bequickly sifted without grinding it through the sieve and withoutpermitting dust to escape at the point of sifting.

A further object of the invention is to enable the impurities separatedby the sieve to be readily removed from the bin.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a rear eleva-v tion of a flour bin andsifter constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view. Fig.4 is a detail perspective view of the sliding frame. Fig. 5 is a detailsectional view illustrating the manner of mounting the sliding frame.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawlngs.

l designates a casing approximately quadrant-shaped in horizontalsection and composed of sides 2 and 3, arranged at an angle to eachother, and a curved front 4; but the casing, which is designed to beplaced in a corner, may be of any other desired construction. Thecasingis provided with a bin 2, and it has a suitable cover (not shown)for the same. The bottom 5 of the bin 2 is tapered or inclined towardthe center, where it is provided with a depending rectangular neck 6,having a horizontal flange 7 at its lower end. The horizontal flange 7,which is located above a reciprocating sieve 8, is adapted when thesieve is reciprocated to assist in forcing flour through the same, andthe said flange 7 is of sufficient width to permit the sieve to bereciprocated without the edge of the sieve being carried beyond the edgeof the flange.

The depending rectangular neck 6 is provided at its top with a suitableflange 9, which is bent upon itself to secure the upper edge of aflexible sleeve 10 to the bin, and the said flange 9 may be bent orfolded in any suitable manner to effect the attachment of the top of thesleeve to the bin. The flexible sleeve, which is constructed of canvasor other suitable material to prevent the escape of dust, is connectedat its lowerend to a reciprocating spout 11, which extends through thebottom of the casing, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, and which is providedat its lower end with a suitable cut-off 12. The upper edge of the spoutis provided with a flange 13, which is bent around thebottom of theflexible sleeve, whereby the latter is secured to the spout. The cut-0E12 is supported upon a suitable inwardly-extending flange 14 and isadapted to be drawn outward through a slot or opening at the front ofthe spout.

The spout is provided at its sides with a horizontal ledge 19, formed byoffsetting and enlarging the upper portion of the spout and serving as asupport for the reciprocating sieve, which is located immediately belowthe flange 7. The sieve, which is reciprocated with the spout to carryit back and forth across the lower end of the neck 6 to sift the flouror other material, is adapted to be drawn outward into a horizontalextension or guide 15 of the spout to permit any impurities separatedbyit to be removed from the bin. The sieve is provided with an L-shapedarm 16, extending outward through the guide or extension 15 and upward,as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The sieve is retained in position for usebya resilient catch 17, mounted upon the guide or extension 15 andprovided with a perforation for the reception of the upturned portion ofthe arm 16. The catch is adapted to be readily swung upward out ofengagement with the upturned portion of the arm 16 to enable the sieveto be drawn outward into the horizontal extension or guide 15 of thespout. The horizontal guide or extension 15 of the spout may beconstructed in anysuitable manner, and itissubstantially U-shaped invertical section, as shown in Fig. 2.

The reciprocating spout is arrangedwithin a rectangular sliding frame18, preferably constructed of a sing e piece of metal, which has itsterminals bent outward to form a pair of arms 20 at the center of oneside or end of.

the frame. The frame is provided at opposite sides with notches 21, asillustrated in Fig. 4, and engages a pair of guide-bars 22, secured tothe bottom of the casing, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, and projectingbeyond an opening thereof. The arms 20 are spaced apart by a block 23 toreceive an antifrictionroller 24, which is engaged by a cam-wheel 25,whereby the spout is reciprocated. The cam-wheel, which is mounted on ashaft 26, is provided with a series of teeth or cams arranged to movethe spout in one direction, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and the spout ismoved in the opposite direction by means of a bowed spring 27, arrangedin the opening of the bottom of the casing and interposed between thelatter and the adjacent side of the spout. The spring is centrallysecured to the bottom of the casing, and its ends, which are free,engage the spout. The shaft 26, which carries the cam-wheel, isjournaled in suitable bearings, and its outer portion, which extendsfrom the front of the casing, is bent to form a crank-handle 28 foroperating the sitter.

The casing is provided at its sides 2 and 3 with doors 29 and 30,mounted in suitable ways 31 and 32, arranged, respectively, in avertical and in a horizontal position.

Itwill be seen that the device is exceedingly simple and inexpensive inconstruction, that it is easily operated, that the spring and thecam-Wheel cause the sieve to be reciprocated with a jerky motion, andthat the horizontal flanges at the lower end of the depending neck orportion of the bin assist in forc ing the flour through the sieve. Itwill also be apparent that the impurities may be conveniently removed,the doors at the sides 2 and 3 of the casing aifording access to thein-' terior of the same, so that the sieve may be readily drawn outwardinto the extension of the spout.

Instead of employing the cam-lever and a spring for actuating the spoutand the sieve a lever or any other suitable operating mechanism may beused, and I desire it to be understood that changes in the form,proportion, size, and the minor details of construction within the scopeof the appended claims may be resorted to without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

What is claimed is- 1. In a device of the class described, thecombination of a bin, a reciprocating spout flexibly connected with thebin and provided with a horizontal extension forming a guide,

means for reciprocating the spout, a sieve supported within the spout inalinement with the horizontal extension and adapted to be drawn outwardinto the same, and means for drawing the sieve outward and for holdingit in position for use, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a bin providedwith a depending neck having an inwardly-extending horizontal flange, areciprocating spout receiving the neck and provided with a horizontalsupport adjacent to the said flange, said spout bein g provided with ahorizontal extension forming a guide, a sieve arranged on the support,and operating beneath the flange and adapted to bedrawn outward from thesame into the said extension, and means for operating the sieve and foractuating the spout, substantially as described.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a bin, areciprocating spout flexibly connected with the bin and provided with asupport and having an extension, a sieve arranged on the support andadapted to be drawn into the extension, an arm connected with the sieveand extending through the spout, and a catch mounted on the spout andengaging the arm, substantially as de scribed.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casinghaving a bin, a neck depending from the bin and provided at its top andbottom with upper and lower flanges, a spout receiving the neck andprovided with an extension, a flexible sleeve secured to the upperflange of the neck and to the top of the spout, means for reciprocatingthe spout, a sieve arranged within the spout beneath the lower flange ofsaid neck and adapted to be drawn into the said extension, and a lockingdevice for holding the sieve in position for use, substantially asdescribed.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casinghaving a bin and provided beneath the same with projecting bars formingguides, a reciprocating spout having a sieve and flexibly connected withthe bin, a sliding frame receiving the spout and provided at oppositesides with recesses arranged in pairs and located at the ends of theframe for the reception of the guides, a spring for engaging one end ofthe frame, and a camwheel for engaging the other end of the frame,substantially as described.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casinghavinga bin and provided below the same with guides a reciprocatingspout having a sieve, a sliding frame receiving the spoutand constructedof a piece of metal having its terminals bent outward and spaced apartto form arms, said frame being provided at opposite sides with recessesarranged in pairs and located at the ends of the frame for the receptionof the guides, a I In testimony that I claim the foregoing as blockinterposed between the arms, a Wheel my own I have hereto affixed mysignature in arranged between the outer portions of the the presence oftwo witnesses.

arms, a cam-wheel for engaging the said PETER RAETZ; wheel to move thespout in one direction, and Witnesses:

means for moving the spout in theopposite VALENTINE HEINISH,

direction, substantially as desc bed. PETER SMALLEN.

